The Songbird's Nightmare
by Brawlers
Summary: Burgess knows him as Nightmare Jack, the vengeful spirit of ice and winter. Toothiana knows him as a friend. Inspired by teensophie-draw's Nightmare Jack concept. Check it out here-
1. Monsters

Burgess was odd town.

Everyone believed in monsters.

You heard the whispers everywhere. Whispers about the shadows that moved even when light didn't flicker, how a sharp chill could be felt on a warm spring night, how people that went near the lake after dark never came back.

Not everyone openly admitted it, of course. Adults always coolly brushed such superstitions aside, and teenagers would scoff at the notions when asked by a younger sibling. But deep within their hearts they believed. Every soul felt that twinge of paranoia, that nagging suspicion of something lurking within the forest that bordered town.

Children would often challenge each other to see who could stay out in the dark near the woods the longest. Toothiana, Nicholas North, Sanderson, and E. Aster Bunnymund-known as Bunny to his friends-were going for the record. Ten minutes. Anyone that could preform such a deed would surely be the hero of Burgess Elementary School. The four 8-year-olds stood in a grassy field, close to the edge of the towering trees and scrubs. Their branches were becoming more and more menacing in the fading light.

"Guys, I'm not so sure about this anymore…" Tooth said timidly, her voice quiet. She did not want to seem weak in front of her male friends-they were the only ones she had- but at the same time an icy ball of fear sat heavily in her stomach.

"Don't worry, there's nothin' really out there. Big kids just make up stories to scare us," Bunny said, his voice lilted with an Australia accent. Sandy took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She smiled gratefully at her mute friend and returned the gesture.

"Besides," Bunny continued, puffing out his little chest, "if anyone comes near us I'll knock 'em out with one kick!" He proceeded to execute powerful high-kick with a loud _HI-AAAAAH! _He put too much force into the movement and slipped on the dew-soaked grass, landing with an unceremonious _thud._ Tooth bit back a giggle but North laughed heartily.

"Wrack off," Bunny muttered, cheeks burning with embarrassment. North rolled his large, light blue eyes.

"Oh, c'mon Bunny! Take chilling pill," North quipped in his thick Russian voice. His family had just moved to town and he was still getting the hang of English. He stuck out a friendly hand and Bunny took it grudgingly, allowing the little Cossack to pull him upright.

"You ok, Bunny?" Tooth asked. Bunny hoped it was dark enough to hide his reddening cheeks.

"Yeah, I've had worse," he said, flashing her a shy grin. Suddenly the last glimmer of sunlight vanished and a deep, dark blue fell across the sky. The four children stilled, hardly daring to breathe. It was eerily quiet. No evening birdsong, no soft chirp of a cricket, no buzz of insects. The air quickly took on a sharp, chill, and the little group huddled together.

_Two minutes. _

The night was clear and clusters of stars slowly emerged in the sky. It was a half moon, but its light seemed to shine brighter tonight than it usually did. Tooth was thankful for that.

Three minutes.

Every rustle made them jump, every snapped twig made their breathing hitch. A story began to worm its way into her mind, a story every child in Burgess knew but was forbidden to hear.

_Four minutes._

Tooth had reached out for Bunny's hand, and Sandy had reached out for North's. They stood together in a brave circle, taking solace in each other's presence. The story wedged itself into Tooth's thoughts and wouldn't leave her be. She had overheard some older kids telling it on the bus. They said even though it happened over 300 years ago he was still angry. That's why the forest was so cold, why animals were rarely heard. He prowled underneath the lake's surface, hiding from the sun that would melt him away. They said he drew power from the moon. He waited patiently for an unwary person taking an evening stroll, for a reckless couple going for a moonlight swim.

_Six minutes._

She didn't understand why she was scaring herself. Bunny was right. The big kids probably just wanted the lake all to themselves. So did nobody, not even grown-ups, go down there? She knew the answer. Everyone did. It's because when you get close enough he reaches out with sharp claws made of ice. He drags you under and doesn't let go until the last gasp of bubbles escapes your mouth. She shivered at the thought. Bunny noticed and kindly offered her his coat. She declined politely, but huddled closer to her friends.

_Eight minutes. _

"This not so hard!" North suddenly exclaimed, making them all jump, "But is too quiet! Why don't we sing Christmas song?"

"It's the middle of September, ya gumby," Bunny sighed with annoyance. North's bright face fell a bit but he quickly shrugged it off.

"Tooth?" he asked, blue eyes hopeful. She couldn't help but giggle at his antics. North was passionate about Christmas, of that much everyone already knew about him.

"Sure, it couldn't hurt," she laughed. So they raised their voices in "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer," loud and defiant to the eeriness of the night.

_Nine Minutes._

Singing? Nobody sang so close to his forest. They were too busy listening for monsters. Monsters like him. He strained his ears, not truly believing them. _Children?_ It couldn't be. Taking up his black, viciously sharp scythe, he flew off into the night.

_Eleven Minutes. _

"Ha! Made it! Ok guys, let's go!" Bunny said quickly, starting to back off toward the town.

"We can't leave now! It will be too easy for someone else to beat us. We should stay for at least three more minutes," Tooth protested. After their caroling she wasn't as afraid anymore, and she didn't want their work to be for nothing. Sandy and North nodded with agreement. Bunny opened his mouth to argue, but closed it and sighed with resignation instead.

_Twelve minutes. _

His ice-blue eyes widened with disbelief. Sure enough there were four little children standing in a tight circle just on the edge of the forest. His forest. He snorted indignantly, scratching his pitch-black hair. Was he losing his touch? Did young children no longer fear him? No. Fear was all he had; he couldn't let it slip away. Conjuring the fiercest, coldest wind he could, he hurled it at the unsuspecting kids.

"LEAVE!" he roared.

_Thirteen minutes. _

All of them cried out as the wind came out of nowhere, biting into their faces and blasting dirt into their eyes. Sandy was struggling to stay on his feet, and Tooth was trembling with fear. It howled mercilessly, and she could have sworn she could her an angry, hateful voice upon it.

_LEAVE!_ It screamed. She thought of the creature they called Nightmare Jack, the monster of ice and darkness.

"Let's go!" she yelled over the gale. Her friends nodded frantically and took off as fast as they could toward town. As they sprinted through the grassy clearing, a strange sensation pricked at Tooth's neck. She threw a glance back over her shoulder at the dark forest. She gasped with horror. There, standing in a shaft of moonlight, was a tall, thin figure. It looked human, but it had sharp talons where its hands and feet should have been. It carried a frightening-looking weapon, a great curved blade that glinted even in the darkness. Two eyes that burned like blue fire glared out at her. They narrowed, and then the figure vanished into the night.

"Tooth! Pick up pace!" North yelped. She snapped her head forward, realizing she had fallen a few steps behind her friends. Tooth obeyed, not daring to look back again.

She wasn't able to sleep that night. Every time she closed her eyes, a pair of deep blue eyes, eyes full of hate and pain and fear, bore into hers.

_Exactly Ten Years Later._

Tooth waved goodbye to her friends as they parted ways, each off to their respective houses. Bunnymund usually walked her home, but today she went off on her own, telling him that there were some errands she needed to do for her mother. Tooth felt guilty for lying to him, but she couldn't bring herself to tell Bunny the real reason for going on her own. There something she needed to do. Taking a deep breath, she started down the road that would take her to edge of town. The sky was heavy with clouds but every now and then a shaft of sunlight managed to poke through and catch colorful streaks in her short, dark hair. Her dark curls bounced with every graceful step and she took in the world with odd, lavender eyes. Tooth put in her headphones, hoping a little music would calm her nerves. None of her friends knew it, but today was the anniversary of their little adventure to the woods all those years ago. They all laughed about how they were scared away by a bit of wind, but Tooth always shuddered at the memory of those tormented, bereft eyes…

Those eyes had tormented the same dream she had every year on the night of the anniversary. She would be walking with Sandy, North, and Bunny by the lake in spring, laughing and carrying on like they always did. It was such a pleasant scene that she was always drawn in like a sailor to a siren, forgetting about the danger that was lurking beneath the surface. Suddenly everything would go very cold. The sun would vanish behind a thick cloud cover, plunging them into darkness. Tooth would move to run, only to find her feet encased in ice. As her friends raced to help her, a terrifyingly familiar figure rose from the lake. It was dark and slender, and the only feature she could ever make out were its cold, piercing eyes. It carried a large black scythe, its razor edge glimmering dangerously. The creature would raise its weapon and slam it down into the water. The lake would instantly freeze, but the ice didn't stop at its edge. It would race up and over the ground with dizzying speed, easily catching up to her beloved companions. Tooth could only watch in horror as the ice wrapped itself around their feet and dragged them back to its master. For a brief, exhilarating moment Tooth would manage to grab onto North's hand as he was pulled past her. Their frightened gazes would meet before a sharp, final tug ripped him away. He and Bunny would kick and struggle with all their might. Sandy's eyes were always closed, a resigned but dignified expression on his face as he silently accepted his fate. They were yanked onto the surface of the frozen pond at the feet of the dark monster. Teeth flashed white in a grim smile as it tapped its scythe against the surface once again. The ice would fracture and splinter, give a defeated groan, and finally collapse, swallowing up North, Bunny, Sandy, and the monster. Tooth would be left alone in the darkness, still frozen to the ground. Her screams would echo unheard through the trees.

Tooth shook her head to clear it of the nightmare, clenching her fists with fierce resolve. Not this year. She would not let the malicious ice spirit haunt her any longer. After a great deal of thought Tooth believed she found a great solution. She had the song, all she needed now were flowers, luck, and every last scrap of courage she could summon.

Tooth walked down a slope to the same clearing from all those years ago, smiling a little at the memory of Bunnymund slipping on the grass. He had come so far since then. Aside from North he was the tallest kid in school and the star of the lacrosse team. Nobody messed with the pugnacious Aussie.

Tooth picked a modest bouquet of wildflowers and skillfully wove them together into a fragrant wreath. She came to the edge of the forest, peering cautiously into the towering pine trees. Clutching her wreath in one hand and a little can of mace in the other-it never hurt to be cautious- Toothiana stepped into the woods, praying everything would be okay.

After a half an hour of walking through the overgrown trails, Tooth reached the infamous pond. Despite the lush environment, its shore was devoid of reeds and grass. Frogs didn't chirp, and only a few large, hardy fish cruised beneath the water. It was unusually cold and Tooth pulled her emerald jacket tighter around herself. After taking a moment to consider the perfect spot Tooth came to a moderately sized rock with a flat, wide top at the water's edge. After putting the wreath atop of it, she pulled out some candles and a small container with homemade baklava from her backpack and placed them alongside it. She paused. Would it be bad to light candles in an offering to an ice spirit? She decided against it, but would leave them there anyways for sake of ceremony. Tooth stood and folded her hands and bowed her head.

"Whoever you really are, whatever really happened to you…I'm sorry. I know this isn't much, but I hope it brings you a little bit of peace. May you rest well," she spoke softly. She strained her ears for any indication he was near. Nothing.

_What am I doing?_ She thought with a little sigh. Maybe it really was just the wind that night, and her colorful imagination and fear did the rest. Maybe she was just crazy.

_I came all this way; I might as well finish what I started._

Taking a breath, Tooth began to sing. She knew it wasn't a conventional or even a traditional song, but she thought it just sort of…fit.

"_When you feel you're alone  
Cut off from this cruel world  
Your instinct's telling you to run_

Listen to your heart  
Those angel voices  
They'll sing to you  
They'll be your guide  
Back home

When life leaves us blind  
Love keeps us kind  
It keeps us kind

When you've suffered enough  
And your spirit is breaking  
You're growing desperate from the fight

Remember you're loved  
And you always will be  
This melody will bring you right  
Back home

When life leaves us blind  
Love keeps us kind  
When life leaves us blind  
Love keeps us kind."

The last note from her clear, strong voice rang through the forest, and for a moment Tooth felt like nothing could touch her. Panting a bit from the effort, Tooth listened intently for any sort of sign that her efforts were acknowledged, that someone had listened. Hearing nothing, she shouldered her backpack. She had no idea if her unorthodox ceremony did anything, but at least she had tried.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?"

Tooth gave a startled cry and whirled around. She instantly recognized those eyes. They were the eyes as cold and hard as ice, the eyes from her memory, the eyes from her nightmares. Tooth's felt her own eyes widen with disbelief and terror.

The spirit had the form of a tall, slender boy that looked about her age. A head of night-black hair and upon his hands framed his sharp, handsome face. Ice had frozen in the form of menacing talons on his hands and feet. He pointed his signature black scythe accusingly at her, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I asked you a question, songbird," he snarled. Tooth put up her hands defensively, doing her best to stand her ground.

"I-I-I was giving you a ceremony," she fumbled dumbly, struggling to find the right words. The boy scoffed and gave her an incredulous glare.

"You come into _my _forest, to _my_ lake, to _my home_ and you have the guts to lie to me?" he spat, brandishing the scythe dangerously close to her face. Tooth was forced to take a small step, her heel brushing the pond's edge.

"N-no! Why would I do that? I came here to—" she stammered.

"To see the monster of Burgess?" He cut her off. "The Ice Demon? Nightmare Jack? I've been given a lot of names by a lot of people that have tried to get rid of me, people that try to drive the devil away from their meaningless little town. Well guess what, songbird? I won't let you be one of them!" he bellowed. He pulled back the blade and swung it, sending a blast of frigid air straight for Tooth. Instinctively she dropped to the ground, and she felt the frozen air rush over her back.

"Please!" she begged, jumping to her feet. "I didn't come here to hurt you!"

Jack raised his eyebrows at her quick reflexes but brought the scythe back, ready to swing again.

"Bullshit. People always want to hurt me and always will!" on the last word he hurled another icy gust at the teenager. Tooth nimbly stepped to the side, although the force of the attack made her stagger on the pebbles underfoot.

"_Stop!_ Please, I just wanted to pay my respects!" she cried. Snatching the wreath from the rock, she held them out to the furious spirit.

"Here! Does _this_ look like I'm trying to get rid of you?" she exclaimed.

He raised the scythe again, but paused at the sight of the flowers. He lowered the weapon and looked to her, the offering, and back again. His brow furrowed in a puzzled expression.

"You…actually were doing some sort of ceremony? For me?" his blue eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Why?"

"I…I saw you in the forest once when I was a kid. Ever since then I've had the same horrid nightmare. I thought maybe if I did this for you that maybe the dreams would stop. And, well, I don't know, you wouldn't be as angry if someone did something nice for you," she explained shakily, tan face growing red. He looked at her for a long time with an expression she couldn't read. And then he laughed. A cold, harsh laughter that sounded like wind rattling bare tree branches in winter.

"You're serious? You really think _flowers_-hahaha, flowers!- would appease me somehow? Do you have any idea what I am?" He began to hover off the ground, wind swirling around him as he rose menacingly above her. A bolt of pure terror ran through Tooth and she almost took off running right there. An image of her mother flashed through her mind, the most courageous and strongest woman she knew. _Hold your ground, Toothiana. The only way to overcome fear is to challenge it. _It had been what she told Tooth when she had complained about a bully at school. Tooth looked up at Nightmare Jack. Hatred swam in the cold depths of his eyes, but above everything else there was a deep, pained sadness. An idea occurred to Tooth and she planted her feet firmly on the ground.

"I think you are a sad, lost spirit that can't find his way," she said boldly. His jaw dropped and Tooth continued.

"I think you're angry and lonely, and that's okay. I don't expect some flowers to make things right. I just wanted you to know that someone cared, that someone wants to help," she said, voice growing louder with her confidence. Jack slowly descended back to the earth, looking like someone had punched him in the gut for no apparent reason.

"But how could you… why would you…" it was his turn to stammer, looking uncomprehending at the girl before him. She gave him a warm, soft smile.

"Because it's what's right," she said gently. He started at her, at a loss for words. His anger and frustration vented, he could see how sincere she was for the first time. There was a long moment of silence as the two looked at each other, trying to figure each other out.

"I need to go home. It will be dark soon. Whatever you are, I really do hope you find your place," Tooth said finally, her voice making him start. Feeling brave, she slowly reached out a hand for his shoulder. He flinched sharply, giving her a strange look.

"Trust me, okay?" she said softly. Jack continued to eye her cautiously but gave a tiny nod. Tooth reached out again and put a hand on his shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. Frost danced across her dark skin but quickly melted after she pulled it away.

"There, that wasn't terrible, was it?" she said with a wry smile. Slowly backing away, she began to retreat toward the trail. Jack's dumbfounded eyes followed her every movement.

"Goodbye…Jack," she whispered before turning and sprinting down the trail as fast as she could.

Jack smirked at this. He could easily catch up with her if he wanted to, but he let her go. He turned the strange turn of events over in his head. How had she been able to read him so easily? How had she turned Nightmare Jack, demon of winter, into a dumb, obedient schoolboy? Something colorful on the ground caught his eye. Reaching down, he picked up the wreath of wildflowers. Frost slowly enveloped it, creaking as it coated every last petal. He gave a quiet gasp of wonder. It was beautiful. Something shifted inside him, and emotions began to creep into his chest. Emotions he hadn't felt in a long time. Jack gave his head a sharp shake and threw the flowers aside. They tumbled across the pebbles but remained intact. Suddenly feeling restless, he took to the air, letting the wind carry him into the darkening sky.


	2. Restless

**A/N: I'm so sorry this is so late. I meant to update this a week ago but finals and life and ugh. But! Here it is! It's not the most exciting chapter, but hopefully I did ok XD Please feel free to critique, I don't bite. Thank you all so much for all the reviews, faves, and follows, it really motivates me to write. Honestly, as cliché it all really does makes my day brighter. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy! **

**Original concept by .com, ROTG by Dreamworks**

Nightmare Jack was could not sit still. No matter how many tree branches he slashed with his great weapon, no matter how many birds he froze in mid-flight, no matter how many times he let the wind carry him through the autumn sky, Jack could not slake his restlessness. And it was all because of that infuriating violet-eyed girl.

Since their meeting, questions had been incessantly ringing through his skull.

How had a teenager had turned him, a powerful 300-year-old ice spirit, into a dumb, stammering schoolboy? What was that dark look within her eyes when she stood up to him? Why hadn't she been afraid?

Jack swung his blade at an unfortunate tree with all his might, roaring with frustration. The scythe buried deep into the tree trunk with a satisfying _thok _but when he tried to pull it free it wouldn't come loose.

"What the…?" Jack muttered as he heaved back on the scythe. Despite his best efforts, it wouldn't budge.

"Let…go…damn…you!" he grunted. Without warning it came free and sent him skittering backward. He landed heavily in the dirt, frost spiraling outward from his body. He gave a heavy groan of defeat.

_Why should I even bother to stand back up? _He thought miserably. Looking up through the trees, Jack could see the full moon hanging in the evening sky.

"I did what I was meant to do. What more do you want from me?" he sighed, voice heavy with lament. Suddenly there was a soft fluttering noise overhead and an iridescent little creature flew before his face. It was a hummingbird, its vibrant body hovering inches from its face.

"Huh?" Jack grunted, blinking hard to make sure reality was still in check. It settled on his chest, gave a sweet, high-pitched trill, nuzzled his chin softly, and whirred away into the forest. Jack lay dumbstruck for several minutes, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Suddenly it clicked.

"The girl from yesterday? Are you serious?" he groaned, running a frustrated hand through his charcoal hair, "How is she supposed to help?"

As usual, the moon remained silent. Jack pushed himself to his feet, glaring up at the celestial master of fate.

"I hate you," he grumbled, brushing dirt from his jet-black sweatshirt and wielding his scythe. The weapon's dark power was the only thing that could send a shiver through Nightmare Jack.

"Well, old friend, let's find a songbird," he sighed, leaping skyward.

The songbird proved harder to find than Jack expected. He spent hours flying around the small Pennsylvania town, looking into every window and alleyway he passed.

"How hard can it be to find a girl with _purple_ eyes?" he muttered to himself, frustration mounting. Jack was flying back to his lake, making patches of black ice on the street along the way, when a streak of color flashed in the corner of his eye. He stopped dead in mid air and whirled around. There!

She wore a bright green-and-gold shirt, and a strange teal hoodie that was speckled with colorful feathers around the wrists, shoulders, and hood. Her dark green skirt had longer, purple feathers that hanging down from the back.

Jack couldn't believe this weirdo was the moon's solution to his problems.

The strange girl was laughing and chatting with two other girls. The first was a slender, lavender-clad girl with short brunette hair and enormous green eyes. The second was shorter and wore a flattering blue dress that set off her mess of fiery curls perfectly. Both were fantastically beautiful. Jack felt a twinge of irritation. 300 years ago he would have flirted shamelessly with them. He would make them giggle and blush until the moment was right to ask one for a walk or a dance or…Jack shook his head. The time had since long passed for that nonsense.

_Focus. Now, how to get her attention… _he thought, scratching his head. Unable to come up with anything particularly clever, he decided to go for broke. He flew above them and dropped himself directly into their path. Toothiana-for God sakes, was that really her name?–jumped and gave a startled cry.

"Hello, Songbird. Remember me?" he said with a grin.

"Tooth? What's wrong?" the brunette asked.

"Aye, ye look as white as, well, me," the girl in blue remarked, voice thick with a Scottish accent. Tooth looked back and forth between her friends, mouth agape with bewilderment.

"You have to believe in ghosts in order to see me," Jack explained.

"Oh. Oh, it's nothing," Tooth stuttered quickly, "I just remembered I have, uh, a book I forgot to return to the library."

"Are you sure you're alright?" the girl in purple asked, an eyebrow raised incredulously.

"I'm fine, Rapunzel, really. It's just I'm going to owe a lot of money if I don't bring it back soon," Tooth said sheepishly, pushing a strand of colorful hair behind her ear. Rapunzel shrugged, though she still looked suspicious.

"Yer such a nerd," the girl with wild red hair giggled, giving her friend a playful nudge, "I don't know how ye manage to spend hours studyin' and readin'. Five minutes of that stuff and I go crazy."

"Trust me, Merida, if I could pass calculus by shooting arrows all day I would," Tooth retorted, lightly pushing her back.

As her friends carried on, Tooth stole a glance over her shoulder, eyes fearful and confused. Jack hovered up behind her, his icy presence making her shiver.

"Find an excuse to get away. I need to talk to you," he hissed. She bit her lip, confusion deepening.

"It's important," he insisted. She nodded slowly and hesitantly.

"Great. And I'd do it sooner rather than later," he said with a sly grin. When she shot him a bewildered glance, Jack raised his scythe and slammed it hard into the sidewalk. A freezing blast of wind nearly knocked the unsuspecting teens off their feet. Jack laughed heartily as Rapunzel and Tooth fixed their mussed hair, though Merida didn't seem to mind. Tooth glared at him and waved innocently back at her. Jack expected her to speak up and leave the group, but she turned her back on him and fell into step by her friends. He grinned impishly.

"Think you can give me the cold shoulder? We'll see about that," Jack called, snickering at his own joke. Tooth didn't look back.

He waited until another group of high school boys crossed their paths and swept up behind the girls. He sent another frosty gust of wind, angled just enough to send their skirts and dresses billowing upward. He giggled mischievously as all of their faces turned scarlet and they frantically pushed the fabric back into place. Some of the boys laughed, others looked away modestly.

"What's with this wind?" Rapunzel griped, smoothing out her dress.

"I don't know, but it's freakin' me out," Merida said, pulling a dark blue jacket tighter over her shoulders.

Tooth scowled at Jack, who shrugged haplessly.

"What?"

Rolling her eyes, the colorful girl turned back to her friends.

"Hey guys, I forgot, I need to call my Mom. You can go ahead," she said, pulling a sleek phone from her pocket.

"You sure, Tooth?" Rapunzel asked.

"Yeah, it's cool. I have better service right here anyways."

Her friends nodded and continued down the block, leaving Tooth alone with the ice spirit.

"I thought they'd never leave," he smirked as he balanced gracefully atop his scythe. Tooth clenched her fists and gave the staff a sharp kick. Jack fell with an ungraceful _plop_ onto the concrete, his scythe skittering down next to him.

"That's fair," he admitted, floating back up to his feet.

"What are you doing here? Why are you following me and embarrassing my friends?" she said, trying hard to keep the ire from her voice.

"I think you're supposed to help me," he replied, suddenly grim.

"Really? How?" Tooth asked, taken aback. His frigid blue eyes narrowed as he studied her face. Tooth averted her gaze, uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

"I have no idea," he admitted, "You're certainly odd, but other than your name and taste in clothes you don't seem like anything out of the ordinary." A hurt look pinched her face, and Jack suddenly realized the full extent of his careless words.

"Well then maybe you should go harass someone more interesting," she spat, pushing past him. Jack quickly placed himself in front of her, holding up his hands apologetically.

"Wait, I didn't mean it like that. I'm…I'm…" he knew he should say "sorry" but he just couldn't manage to force it off his tongue. She raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"I really do need your help," he finished, a pleading edge to his voice. Tooth rolled her eyes with a resigned sigh.

"Fine. What is it that you need, anyways?"

Jack hesitated. The answer to that question had been haunting him for 300 years, yet he had never truly said it outright.

"I need to figure out why I'm still here," he said softly.

"What do you mean?" she asked, puzzled.

"I mean, why haven't I moved on to the afterlife?"

"Ah. So you're a ghost, then?"

"I prefer "spirit of ice and darkness" but yes, that's essentially what I am."

"And how did you come to the conclusion that I'm some sort of supernatural expert?"

"Considering your little ceremony in the woods I thought you'd might know _something,_" he said, irritation rising in his voice. He pushed it away and took a calming breath.

"Wasn't that its purpose in the first place? To put me to rest so your nightmares would go away?"

"I guess so, but I wasn't sure what I was doing. Honestly I just mixed a few things from different cultures hoping something would work. Obviously it didn't."

Jack groaned, pulling at his cobalt hair. He glared up at the moon, its crescent glowing bright in the darkening sky. They were silent for a long time.

"Are you sure I'm supposed to help you?" she asked quietly.

"Yes. The moon told me so."

She gave him a strange look but just shook her head with an expression that said "_I don't even want to know_."

"Look, I need to go home. I need to study tonight for a test, but tomorrow I'll do some research, ok? That's the best I can do."

Jack didn't look satisfied, but his expression softened a hair.

"Very well. Meet me by the lake as soon as you can," he said, beginning to leave.

"Um, not to be rude, but aren't you going to thank me? I don't have to spend what little free time I have helping an angsty teenaged ice-ghost," she said, looking offended.

"Ah, right. It's been 300 years, ok? My manners are a bit rusty," he replied, bowing melodramatically. Tooth narrowed her violet eyes in a withering glare, clearly not amused. Jack cleared his throat awkwardly. He hated being scolded like a child, but if Toothiana was indeed the answer, he would do what had to be done.

"Thank you, Songbird. I mean it," he said a bit grudgingly. He offered her the tiniest of smiles. The expression felt foreign and painful on his face and he quickly dropped it. Tooth's anger faded and she gave him a little nod of acknowledgement.

"You're welcome. And you do know my name is Toothiana, right?"

"Yes, but that's sill—"he caught himself just in time as rage flashed into Tooth's face.

"I just like Songbird better," he finished matter-of-factly. Before he could say anything else to ruin their shaky alliance, Jack let the wind take him home.

Toothiana watched the strange boy fly off into the distance and heaved a weary sigh. She had too much homework for this shit.


	3. The Nightmare's Compromise

**A/N: God, I am so sorry. This is very long overdue and I can't thank you all enough for putting up with this. To be honest, this is more of a side project as I'm writing another story for my college's writing blog and I have a lot of schoolwork, but once summer comes around hopefully I'll be able to be more consistant with updates. I can't thank you all enough for the faves, follows and reviews. **

**I like writing dark!Jack. He's such a brat. Baby Tooth is fun too. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy! feel free to critique. as always, original concept is by the amazing **

Toothiana staggered into her room, tossing her bag aside and collapsing heavily on her bed with a groan.

"Rough day, Tooth?"

The colorful teenager jumped and looked up to see her younger sister, Taliana, sitting at her computer desk absentmindedly browsing Tumblr. Taliana was a petite replica of her sister with two prominent exceptions. Though it didn't seem possible, Taliana had even stranger eyes than Tooth. One was the color of an amethyst and the other the iridescent blue of the eye of a peacock feather. Tooth was a bit more studious and Talaina was a bit more outgoing, but they mostly shared the same bubbly, bright personality.

"Jeez, Talia, don't do that! Why are you in my room anyways?"

"Better internet connection, duh," she replied without looking up from the monitor. Tooth rolled her eyes and ran a hand through her thick, dark hair.

"Fine, just make sure you log off of your account, I'm tired of waking up my computer and seeing a bunch of gay porn," she grumbled.

"Whatever you say, my super-lame sis," Talia chuckled, "By the way, you never answered my question. Rough day?"

"Nah, I just have a lot to do and I'm exhausted," Tooth said, pushing herself up and opening her backpack.

"Ah…that's right. Do you still get nightmares?"

"No, it's just that one night, but it still takes a lot out of me," Tooth admitted, not meeting her sister's concerned gaze. Tooth normally confided everything in her younger sister, including her strange, reoccurring dream. Still, she couldn't bring herself to tell Talia about her odd encounter with the ghost boy. She'd think Tooth had pulled one too many all-nighters. Tooth inwardly shuddered at the thought of Jack. How in the hell was she supposed to help him? More importantly, _why_ should she even bother? So far he had done nothing but torment her subconscious and humiliate her friends. She owed him nothing, and after the effort she made for his ceremony, at the very least they were even. Tooth gave her head a minute shake, wishing she had just stayed away from the forest and the cursed lake hidden within.

"Oh and by the way…how are you and Aster?" Taliana ventured, damming Tooth's stream of thought. Tooth flinched and remained silent.

"Ah. Well, don't worry about it. Sometimes things just don't work out, and if you ask me he needs to learn how to deal with it," Talia said curtly. Tooth nodded absently and opened a notebook, actually thankful for homework as it gave her a much-needed distraction.

School was a stressful but routine blur. She confidently took her history test, obediently scribbled down notes, and avoided eye contact with her ex-boyfriend. No matter how much she tried to focus on her mundane school day, there was a particular cold, terrifying boy she couldn't shake from her mind. One she was meeting later that night. Tooth grimaced, put in her headphones, and turned up her music as loud as she could endure.

Once Tooth arrived home she spent a good two hours researching everything she could find on ghosts and spirits, though nothing seemed to quite fit the profile of Nightmare Jack.

"Whatcha doing?" her sister asked curiously, poking her head over Tooth's shoulder, making her jump again.

"Talia! Can you stop scaring me?" Tooth snapped.

"It's not my fault you're so jumpy," she replied with a shrug. Upon spying the monitor, Talia gave her sister a strange look.

"Why are you looking up ghost stories? Are you sure you're not still hung up over your nightmare?" she asked with a touch of concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's for an assignment."

"Really, and what assignment would that be?" Talia said, crossing her arms and raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"We have to write a ghost story for English, so I'm just getting some facts straight," she said defensively.

"If you say so," Talia sighed. After hovering in silence for a moment, she strolled to the door, shot Tooth a final suspicious glance, and left. Tooth shoved away a pang of guilt that twisted in her chest. _I'll tell her when this mess is over and done with. Probably._ Taking a deep breath to clear her mind, Tooth printed her findings and focused on pulling together everything she'd need for the woods.

_Notebook, check._

_Flashlight, check. _

_Wooden stake, check._

_Silver, check._

_Salt, check. _

Tooth sighed as she packed the last three items in her backpack. The effectiveness of the last three against the mighty black scythe of Nightmare Jack was doubtful, but she figured they were better than nothing.

Jack paced back and forth across the lake, ice splintering out beneath his frostbitten feet. He looked up at the falling sun as an indicator of the time, grunted with annoyance, and continued to stalk anxiously about the water's surface.

Where was she? She couldn't have forgotten…or had she?

There was a crackling and scuffling behind him and Jack instinctively whirled around and sent an icy gust of wind from his fingertips. The blast knocked an unfortunate squirrel off a low hanging tree branch with an unceremonious _plop_ onto the ground. It gave him an indignant, high-pitched scolding before shooting off into the foliage.

"So you bully small animals _and_ schoolgirls. Aren't you just the charming little specter?" a dry voice called out.

Jack felt an unfamiliar jolt of surprise and turned around, brandishing his scythe threateningly. He blinked his dark azure eyes. Nobody was there.

"Wha-how did-where _are_ you?" He sputtered.

"I'll come out, but I want you to do something first," she responded boldly. Jack gave an incredulous scoff.

"Have you forgotten what I'm capable of?" he snarled dangerously, a cold wind rattling the tree branches.

"Just the opposite. I remember all too well, and that's why I need assurance you're not going kill me."

Jack listened intently and began to stalk towards the source of her voice.

"And what if I don't? I don't like making promises I can't keep," he said with a sneer.

"Then you can forget about me helping you. Drop the scythe where you are and walk to the opposite side of the lake," she said coldly.

"C'mon, Songbird. Don't you have better things you could be doing?" He was goading her, hoping that he could get her to slip up and reveal her hiding place. The hollow fell silent and still. She wasn't taking the bait.

"You can't be there all night! I'll find you!" he spat, rising threateningly from the ground.

"Would you stop being a brat and just do it?" she snapped.

Jack was practically twitching with irritation and impatience. After a few calming breaths—and a few minutes of angrily blasting the wind in random directions—Jack grudgingly obeyed. With a guttural snarl of frustration he threw his weapon to the ground and trudged melodramatically to the other side of the lake.

"Happy, princess?" he spat.

"Yes, thank you," she chirped back. Her voice was close, but it seemed to be coming at him at an angle, as if she were…Jack looked up.

_No. It can't be…_

Ssure enough he could make out a splash of green in the sea of red, orange, and gold leaves of an enormous oak tree.

Jack's jaw went slack as the colorful girl swung down from branch to branch until she dropped gracefully to the forest floor. She brushed herself off and tucked a strand of turquoise-streaked hair behind her ear. For a long moment Jack's ability to speak abandoned him. He suddenly realized how careless he had been with his earlier huffing and ice-making and wind-blowing. The noise had allowed her to slip unnoticed through his forest and catch him by surprise. Jack seethed at his own foolishness, vowing never to make that mistake again. Tooth shifted uncomfortably and cleared her throat. A smirk tugged at Jack's pale lips. She wasn't so tough now that she was on his level. He drew himself up to his full height and fixed her with the most intimidating stare he could manage. A shadow of fear flitted across her face but she lifted her chin defiantly and met his gaze evenly. Frustration bubbled in Jack's chest again. She was a teenager, and a _girl_ no less. Why the hell couldn't he get the upper hand?

"So, have you found out how to help me or not?" he said finally.

"To be honest, I'm not sure. I looked up lots of superstitions, legends, and folklore but they all more or less say the same thing: ghosts can't pass on because they have unfinished business to attend to," she explained sheepishly.

"Well anyone could have told me that! Hell, I knew that!" Jack said with exasperation. Toothiana—Jack still couldn't figure out why any parent would name their daughter that—held her hands out defensively.

"Calm down, I have a plan," she said, pulling her notes from her backpack. Jack lifted his eyebrows with amusement as he spotted a wooden stake among the notebooks.

"Stakes are for vampires, you know that, right?" he chuckled. Tooth fixed him with an annoyed glare as she zipped up the bag.

"I'm not afraid to experiment if need be," she growled. Jack rolled his eyes.

"Please. If a wooden stake was the answer to my problems, I have solved them myself long ago," he bit out. Tooth blinked and her mouth dropped the tiniest bit at his dark response.

"Oh. I…I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"Forget it. Now, what else that's actually _useful _have you found out?" he grunted.

"Well there are lots of theories about how to put spirits to rest, so I think our first step is to figure out exactly why you're here. That way we'll know what method will work best," she said.

_At least she's a nerd,_ Jack thought wryly.

"So, uh, who were you, before you died? What sort of unfinished business could you have had?" she asked, clicking open a pen and consulting her notebook. The question pricked Jack's heart like an icicle. He hadn't thought about his past in a long time, and it was like trying to recall a dream from days before.

"I…I was a colonist. I came here with my family," he began slowly. Tooth sat on a nearby rock, scribbling down his response. After a long pause she looked up at him, large, strange eyes encouraging him to continue. Jack fidgeted under her scrutiny. He hadn't had a conversation with anyone but himself in years. Tooth seemed to pick up on his discomfort and she gave him the smallest of sympathetic smiles.

"Go on, it's all right," she said kindly. He gave her a strange look, unused to any sort of kindness or , it was reassuring and he took a shaky breath and continued.

"I don't remember why we came here. My father was hunter and that's how we made money, along with my mother's sewing. And…I had a sister," his voice nearly broke at that last bit. 300 hundred years hadn't eased the sharp pang of grief that her memory always evoked. No amount of time ever would.

"Jack…?" Tooth asked softly. He snapped his attention up at her and relaxed the fists he hadn't known he was clenching.

"I was only 18 when…when I became this," Jack gestured to himself, "I don't have any "unfinished" business. No mission to complete, no broken promise to mend, no unrequited love to proclaim, nothing."

A long silence stretched between them. Tooth furrowed her brow and studied him thoughtfully and openly. Jack decided he didn't like it when she did that.

"_What_?" he spat. Tooth blinked and then narrowed her gaze.

"You're hiding something," she said finally. Jack almost jumped at her sharpness and he quickly masked his surprise.

"No I'm not. Why would I keep something secret if I thought it would help my case?" he bristled.

"You got all tense when you mentioned your sister. Did something happen with her?" she pressed.

"Just drop it, alright?" he snapped, taking a threatening step toward her. A flicker of fear passed through her magenta eyes but she held her ground.

"Listen, Jack, I feel bad for you, really I do. But if you don't trust me, I can't help you," Tooth said.

Jack clenched his fists, his already pale knuckles going white. He knew she was right, but he just couldn't bring himself to talk about his sister. He wasn't ready.

"You said something odd the day we met," he said, desperate to change the subject. He ignored the strange look she gave him and continued.

"You looked at my face and said 'I've seen that look before.' You tell me what you meant by that, and I'll tell you about my sister." To his relief and satisfaction, Tooth's expression immediately darkened.

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" she growled.

"Why should I trust you if you don't trust me?" he retorted.

"_You're_ the one that tracked me down and bullied me into coming here! If you don't want my help then why don't you just leave me alone!" Tooth replied bitterly, standing up. She shouldered her backpack and started for the path out of the hollow. As she passed by Jack she thrust a pile of papers into his chest with impressive brute force.

"Here, read it yourself," she said bitterly, storming away. Jack gritted his teeth as he looked down at the papers, to Tooth and back again. He couldn't let her go, but he had no idea what to say. Deep down Jack knew the answer: _I'm sorry, please don't go!_ But what was he, some sort woodland fairy? No. Nightmare Jack didn't apologize.

"This isn't over, Songbird!" he called out. To his surprise Tooth whirled around, amethyst eyes bright with fury.

"My name is Toothiana and you know it, so stop calling me that. You can talk to me when you stop acting like a child," she snarled, then turned on her heels and vanished into the woods.

Trembling with rage, Jack slammed his fist into a nearby tree. Frost exploded up its trunk and sent fiery leaves dancing to the forest floor. His chest heaved as he tried to put his anger in check. For a long time there was just the sound of his panting and the lake as its edge lapped quietly at the shore. In the deafening silence, the seriousness of his plight struck Jack hard in the chest. It was either deal with the irritating girl, or remain this way the rest of his meaningless existence. He smacked a palm against his forehead and slid it down his face.

_Shit, I did it again. Why can't I stay on the good side of the one person in the world willing to help me?_

Jack groaned and sat on the ground with a defeated _plop_. He stared blankly ahead for a moment before picking up a bright red leaf from the ground and twirling it in his snowy fingers. His sister had loved fall, crunching through the leaves, plucking ripe apples from trees, going for walks in the misty morning air… Jack frowned and crushed the leaf in his fist. Sitting around looking nostalgically at plants wasn't going to get him anywhere. If he ever wanted to see his sister again in the afterlife, he was going to have to suck it up, be polite, and, God help him, _apologize_ for his actions.

"I'll do it for Mary," he said to himself. Racing over to his scythe and snatching it up, Jack summoned the great North wind. Its icy current lifted him off the ground and he flew over the path to catch up with Tooth.

Tooth huffed down the trail; deeply angered that she had wasted so much time and effort on the ungrateful spirit. _Who does that jerk think he is? Asking me for help and then turning everything on me? Well he has the information, he can figure it out on his own. I'm never coming back from this God-forsaken lake! That arrogant, childish, idiot son of a—_

_Oof!_

Tooth had been so absorbed in her anger that she ran right into something. Or rather, someone. He was a tall, slender man with ashen skin and strange, yellow eyes. He had dark, greasy hair combed back and he wore a long black trench coat. Tooth took a cautious step back, a wise instinct in her gut alerting her to an unspoken danger.

"Sorry sir," she apologized, moving to step around him. He matched her stride to block her path and flashed her a smile full of crooked, yellow teeth. Tooth internally shuddered.

"In a hurry are we?" he said in a raspy English accent.

"Uh, yeah, actually. It's getting late and I need to get back before my curfew so, uh, if I could get by…?" she said with a nervous smile. But he didn't move. Instead the man made an eloquent gesture with a bony hand.

"Of course, of course, but I've always felt that life's too short to be constantly rushing about. You miss the opportunity to make new friends."

He stuck out his hand.

"The name's Kozmotis Pitchiner. But you can call me Pitch," he said.

Tooth didn't want to seem rude, but there was no telling what this man could do to her if he grabbed hold of her.

"I, uh, that's very nice of you, Pitch, but I really need to get home," she said, and quickly side-stepped around him before he could react. Suddenly she felt a hand on her arm and she involuntarily cried out in surprise. Pitch was gently gripping her just above the elbow.

"Aw, come on now, you don't want to be friends?" he said with mock-hurt in his voice. Tooth narrowed her eyes and yanked her arm free.

"No offense, sir, but you're twice my age and I really don't think it's appropriate. Don't touch me again," she said sternly. Pitch reached out and grabbed her arm again, harder this time.

"Now, now, don't get in a tizzy. I just want to see if I can interest you in a little money-making venture of mine," he said, voice sickly sweet.

"Let go of me!" Tooth cried, heart hammering in her chest. Just then a gust of wind ripped through the forest. Trees creaked unsteadily and their branches swung wildly. A cloud of leaves, twigs and dirt erupted from the path and engulfed Pitch and Tooth. It was blowing in Pitch's direction, blasting his face with the flying debris. He cried out and released Tooth's arm to cover his eyes. Tooth squinted her own and took off down the path as fast as she could. There was a sudden chill next to her and she looked left to see Jack gliding in the air along side her. The wind died a bit and she could hear footfalls behind them.

"Girl! Stop!" Pitch demanded. Jack rolled over so he was flying on his back and flicked his great scythe towards their pursuer. A bright blue steam of light shot out and patch of ice appeared discreetly below Pitch's feet. The man, caught up in the wind and his chase, never saw it coming and his spindly legs skittered out from underneath. He fell ungracefully to the ground and his head smacked against the ice with a painfully audible _thud._ Tooth spared a glance behind her shoulder but didn't slow down. She kept up the sprint, Jack hovering beside her, until she burst from the forest. Even then Tooth kept a steady jog until she was back on the main road. Finally she stopped under a streetlight, breathing heavily and leaning on her knees. Jack was still floating wordlessly next to her, expression neutral. She hated to admit it, but she was actually glad he had helped her back there.

"Well Jack, I never thought I'd say it but…thanks," she muttered between pants. He shrugged, but she could see the hint of satisfaction in his pale face.

"Why'd you do that anyway? Were you following me?" she asked, mopping sweat from her forehead.

"Yeah. I thought about what you said, about trusting you and being mature and whatnot," he said slowly, rubbing the back of his neck, "and…well, I never thought _I'd_ say it, but you were…right." Tooth smirked at the difficulty with which he said the last part.

"I'm a woman, of course I was," she grinned. Jack just gave her a deadpan look, not amused.

"So…will you still help me?" he asked, looking at his bare, dirty feet. His apology, if it could even really be called that, sounded genuine enough, but he was dangerous and irrational and childish and terrifyingly powerful.

And Tooth knew she had to help him. She couldn't explain it, but she felt almost a natural, compassionate urge to do so. When he finally lifted his ice-blue eyes hopefully, Tooth could see the same pain and fear she had seen in them as a child all those years ago. Sighing heavily, her shoulders sagging with resignation, Tooth nodded. For the first time since she had met him, a wide, joyful smile broke out over his face. Tooth had to blink to make sure she wasn't just seeing things in the failing light. His teeth were as white as snow and as straight as soldiers. She had never seen anything like them. They were _beautiful. _The smile was gone as soon as it came, a shooting star in a bleak night sky.

"Thank you," he said, grimacing as if the words left a bad taste on his tongue. They seemed sincere nonetheless, and Tooth acknowledged them with a nod.

"I really do need to head home," she said. Before Tooth walked away, she reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. He flinched at her touch and she quickly pulled away, unsure of what drove her to do it in the first place.

"Good night," she said quietly, a brush of warmth in her cheeks. Turning on her heels, she left the ghost boy behind her once again. She could feel his blizzard-like gaze boring into the back of her neck until she was out of sight.


End file.
